It's not the generic plot that's so memorable, even though its convolutions are clever enough, or the cast of mostly interesting characters, but the surreal swirl of form and color that frequently fills the enormous screen.

Parents need to know that the fourth installment in the popular Mission: Impossible franchise has all the hallmarks that made the previous incarnations successful: a twisty plot, a motley crew (led by Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt) on a spying mission, and lots and lots of jaw-dropping stunts and high-tech gadgetry. Expect tons of thrilling-but-violent action sequences, including assassinations and weapons that maim, bomb, and kill. The body count definitely adds up, but blood is minimal. There's also some swearing (including "s--t"), as well as some kissing and flirting, social drinking, and smoking.

Families can talk about action movies. Does this kind of movie need violence in order to be thrilling?

How does the filmmaker handle the violent missions? Are they glamorized? If so, what effect does this have?

Is Ethan a role model? Why or why not?

The good stuff

Messages: This is a pretty straightforward good-versus-evil story. Teamwork is what really makes Ethan's team successful; they all watch one another's back and are loyal to the group. Another notable takeaway: Gadgets can fail, so human relationships and resourcefulness matter more.

Role models: Ethan is definitively on the "good" side, though there are allusions to him having gone off-mission and killed six men. He appears to be a dedicated guy, though clearly one with a few demons. Everyone on his team is pretty well-intentioned and principled. There's a strong female character on the IMF team.

What to watch for

Violence: Plenty of action/thriller violence, with high body counts resulting from gunfights, bombings, hand-to-hand combat, and the like. There's an assassination, and characters end up bloodied, maimed, and killed. One spy is shot point blank. Some of the fight scenes make you wince. Some characters refer casually to having killed others. The villain wants to detonate a nuclear missile.

Sex: A lingering kiss; a spy attempts to get information from someone by flirting with and seducing him.

Language: Infrequent use of words including "s--t," "hell," "ass," and "damn." Also "my God," etc. as exclamations.

Consumerism: Brands/labels in the movie include Ford Motors, Porsche, Maserati, Dell, LG, and plenty of Apple products, including the iPad and the iPhone.

Drinking, drugs and smoking: Social drinking at parties; some characters smoke.

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